September 30th, 2016 marked 10 years of acreage living for my husband and me. Both of us grew up living out in the country for a good majority of our lives, but the land we currently have was the first property we purchased together. If you also live on acreage, you’ll know that it has its ups and downs. For us, I feel like the pros outweigh the cons, but on this 10th anniversary of acreage living, I thought I’d take a stroll down memory lane and share a few best and worst personal memories of acreage life so far. Let’s get nostalgic and real for a few minutes and talk all about the nitty gritty of land and home ownership out in the country. Are you a homeowner too?

Make sure to pop down to the bottom of this post to win a $500 cash gift card to use for decorating a favourite space in your home from Esurance!

I like to start with the bad stuff and get it over with. Let’s begin with my 5 worst memories of 10 years of acreage living, shall we?

#1: The moment we took possession of our acreage.

Doesn’t that sound horrible? But it’s true. When we first bought our land and the “garage house” that was on it, I felt a little sick. The house was disgusting. It was dirty, tiny and ugly, and I was a little scared. However, I think we did a pretty good job cleaning it up and making it our own. You can read more about our garage house here.

#2: When we couldn’t get our two babies to share a room.

The garage house was fantastic for us and one baby, but when Little A came along the house suddenly felt really small. My dream was to have the two girls share a bedroom, but that didn’t work AT ALL. Little A had to sleep in our room in order for both girls to sleep, and then I didn’t sleep because she was constantly waking me. I do really badly on little sleep… just ask my hubby!

#3: When our neighbors’ backyard blew up.

One night at around 9pm, I was playing on the computer when our whole little home was rocked by a violent explosion. I ran outside to see a huge fire leaping into the air in our neighbor’s back yard. Thankfully, the fire didn’t spread to their home or ours, and the fire department helped them quickly put it out. I was so thankful that no one was hurt and our homes were spared. This was one of the times I was happy that we had home insurance but didn’t have to file a claim. Phew!

#4: When I found a dead animal on the lawn.

Scratch that. Make that several dead animals. One of the joys of living out in the country is that your dogs drag the most lovely things onto your lawn and porch. And I’m not just talking about mice. We’ve had bunnies, muskrats, and all sorts of sad creatures on our lawn.

#6: When I felt alone.

Amendment: this also wasn’t/isn’t a one-time thing. Country living is beautiful, serene, exciting and rewarding but it can also be very lonely. We don’t drive into town or the city every day, so I was an am often alone with my little ones. I’m an introvert, so that’s not always a bad thing, but sometimes I can feel a little lonely and removed from my friends out here. Sometimes I long for the connection one can find in city or town life.

Now, let’s talk about my 5 BEST memories from acreage life!

#1: When we first drove up our range road to our home.

It was a gorgeous fall that year – 2006 – and I distinctly remember driving our car through the canopy of trees that leads to our subdivision and thinking: “This is the most beautiful spot in the world!”

#2: When we met our neighbors.

We have some of the BEST neighbors. They live a little further away than town neighbors, but they’re always willing to help us and visit with us. I also think fellow acreage-dwellers share a lot of common interests like gardening and DIYing, so that’s really fun!

#3: When we sent our first child to school.

I absolutely adore the little country school that’s near our home. So far, our daughters absolutely love it. Little A started kindergarten there this year, so now we have two kids going! I feel like our school is a little more personal and quieter than what a city school might be and we love that.

#4: When we moved into our new home.

We built our new home on our acreage in 2013. The first night we slept in it was amazing and surreal. We had a lot of really bad and really good experiences as we built Our DIY House, and it was such a relief to finally be able to move in! Come see our latest home tour right here.

#5: When we found out our 4 bedroom house was going to be full.

My hubby Sean was adamant that we build a 4 bedroom house even though we had 2 kids at the time. I thought the idea was fine, but little did I know that we were going to be filling that room ASAP! We learned that we were pregnant with Little B the month before we moved into our new home. She was a surprise, but what an amazing surprise she was! Now, I have three sweet girlies running all over the acreage in their princess dresses and rubber boots. I can’t wait to experience all of the new memories we’ll share together here in our home and on our property.

Both bad and good, the memories we’ve shared on our acreage have helped us learn and grow. I couldn’t be more thankful for our land and our home.

I’m so excited to be able to share with you an exciting giveaway from Esurance! Our homes are special to us, and home insurance helps us protect them and give us peace of mind. Esurance has been in Alberta since early last year offering auto insurance, but as of this fall Albertan homeowners are the first in Canada to have the option of selecting Esurance home insurance. If you’re like me and love to do everything you possibly can online, Esurance is a fabulous option for you. You can manage your policy online, and they work hard to use technology to provide great service. There’s also a really cool DIY Home Inspection app that helps you save money on your policy, and you can bundle home insurance with auto insurance to save even more. To find a policy that’s right for you, visit Esurance.ca.

Esurance wants to give you a chance to win a $500 cash gift card to use for decorating a favourite space in your home! Use the widget below to enter to win. (Participants must reside in Canada and be 18 years of age or older. See all the Terms & Conditions in the widget below). Good luck!

I would put it toward organization materials such as shelving, totes, baskets. My basement gives me anxiety with all the clutter & I’d like to have everything neat & tidy with shelves & labels and have it be clean!

Subscribe!

Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy & effectiveness of the information displayed on this website, The DIY Mommy makes no guarantee as to the procedures & information contained here. The publisher will not be liable for direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages in connection with or arising from the use of the information displayed on thediymommy.com. This website is not intented to substitute the advice of a professional. Note: Posts may contain affiliate links or sponsored content. For more of our disclosure policy, click here.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkRead more